Entertainment events such as news, talk shows, sports, live concerts, music, movies, etc. are available from many types of media devices such as radios, broadcast televisions, cable television set top boxes, Internet-connected computers, satellite receivers, and multimedia cellular phones. Each of these media device types uses communication systems that may have different data rates, latency, mobility, and other properties. A single event, such as a concert or sporting event, may also be represented simultaneously through more than one media device, and each media device may be of the same or a different type. Moreover, media devices may have different service providers. Every representation of an event, regardless of the media device type or service provider, typically has an event identifier such as a radio frequency, a television channel number, an event start time, an event name, or other data that makes it possible for a user to select a medium for presentation of the event.
For example, a user of media may be listening to a live broadcast by a first media provider of a baseball game on the radio in her car during his commute from the office to her home. As is often the case, the game is also being simulcast live on a television channel by a second media provider. When the user arrives home, she may want to continue with the game by watching or listening to it on her home television. Unfortunately, the transition from the car to the home will typically result in a period of time during which the user will not receive any media representation of the game. Indeed, the user must enter the house, turn her television on, determine the correct television channel, and tune the television to the correct channel before she can resume her enjoyment of the game.